Members of the U.S. Armed Forces, veterans and their families often qualify for special tax benefits. An IRS news release describes some of the most common deductions and exclusions and tells where to get more information.

Long & Foster Real Estate is making sure its new realtors get off to the best start possible through a mentorship program that pairs the newcomers to more experienced realtors.

Joe McGill, Jr., creator of the Slave Dwelling Project, wants to fill the void when it comes to the public’s knowledge of slave dwellings and the people who lived in them, through engaging educational programs inside old slave quarters across the country.

“Focusing on Forestland Transfer to Generation ‘NEXT’” is being offered July 29 and August 5 at the Moton Museum in Farmville. This two-day program from the Virginia Department of Forestry will help family forest landowners successfully plan the transfer of their woodlands, intact, from one generation to the next.

Governor Terry McAuliffe says Ithaca will be filmed in Virginia this summer, with actress Meg Ryan directing and playing a role in the movie along with Sam Shepard and Ryan’s son, Jack Quaid. Tom Hanks and his production company Playtone will be executive producers on the film set during WW II and based on William Saroyan’s 1942 book The Human Comedy.

State Senator Chap Petersen (D-Fairfax City), Delegate Jackson Miller (R-Manassas) and Delegate David Ramadan (R-Loudoun) have announced the formation of the "Redskins Pride Caucus," described in a press release as "a bipartisan group of Virginia state legislators representing professional football fans in the Commonwealth."

In the June 20 edition of the Manassas Observer, the dates for the USDA summer feeding program were incorrect. Here are the correct dates.

Manassas VA city police department's crime report for Thursday, June 19, 2014.

Manassas VA City Police Department's crime report for Friday, June 20, 2014.